Elden Ring's world design had a boss-first approach Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Elden Ring's world design had a boss-first approach But who is Miyazaki's favourite? News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Published on 26 May 2022 24 comments Hidetaka Miyazaki had a boss-first approach when designing Elden Ring's open world. Speaking to Xbox Wire Japan (translated by IGN), Miyazaki discussed development of the game's world and key inspirations. "Our first step when designing the map was to decide where the bosses would appear, especially the important ones," said Miyazaki. "Therefore, the map was really designed on the basis of boss gameplay, then we adjusted the boss gameplay based on their location on the map." Watch on YouTube That approach was similar to FromSoftware's previous Souls games, plus Bloodborne and Sekiro, despite Elden Ring being the studio's biggest and most open world to date. "I don't think we took specific inspiration from any particular game," he said, "but I've personally played a lot of open world games that are considered classics of the genre, and I've been influenced by all of them." He added: "These include The Elder Scrolls series, The Witcher 3, and more recently The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." The latter is certainly no surprise, what with Elden Ring's player-driven progression, sense of discovery, and lack of quest markers. But which of those bosses is his favourite? It's Starscourge Radahn, translates Games Radar, which comes as little surprise what with the grand festival buildup and extensive battle arena. "As a single character, he's appealing," said Miyazaki, "but I also like the Radahn Festival." "It's literally a festive time," he continued, noting its "autumnal colours". "The first time I talked about the idea of the Radahn Festival, no one on the team took it seriously," he said. It's certainly a more elaborate setpiece compared with Elden Ring's other bosses. Godrick and Rykard are Miyazaki's runner-ups. What, no Malenia? If you're struggling with the bosses yourself, check out our Elden Ring boss guide. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store